Infante Luis Antonio Jaime of Spain, the Cardinal-Infante (Madrid, 25 July 1727 – Vila de Arenas de San Pedro, Ávila, 7 August 1785), Infante of Spain, Cardinal Deacon of the Title of the church of Santa Maria della Scala in Rome, Archbishop of Toledo and Primate of Spain and 13th Conde de Chinchón Grandee of Spain First Class with a Coat of Arms of de Bourbon. Luis was a son of Philip V, King of Spain and his second wife, Elisabeth of Parma .

He is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the youngest-ever cardinal.[1]

Contents

1 Life

o 1.1 Early Years

2 Marriage

o 2.1 Children

3 Ancestors

5 Titles

Life

Early Years

Don Luis Antonio Jaime de Borbón y Farnesio, de Baviera y d'Este was born the youngest son of King Philip V, King of Spain, and his second wife, Elizabeth Farnese. While barely eight years of age, Luis was created 699th Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece in 1735 and ordered Archbishop of Toledo and Primate of Spain on 9 September 1735, and subsequently named and sacred Cardinal Deacon of the Title of the church of Santa Maria della Scala in Rome on 19 December. On 18 December 1754 he abandoned, for lack of vocation, the ecclesiastical life, renounced his ecclesiastical titles and dignities and later assumed the title of 13th Conde de Chinchón Grandee of Spain First Class with a Coat of Arms of de Bourbon in 1754 by cedance of his brother Infante Felipe.

After the death of his older half brother, King Ferdinand VI of Spain in 1759, Luis had the opportunity to become King of Spain (Ferdinand VI died without issue). Luis tried to have his right to the throne recognized, claiming that he alone was born in Spain, and the only son of King Philip V still residing in Spain (his oldest surviving brother Charles was the King of Naples and Sicily, while his next older brother Infante Philip was the duke of Parma). However valid his claim, Luis lost the succession to his oldest brother Charles, while Charles' third son became Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies.

The Infante Luis was a fan of the arts and culture, and a fan of musician Luigi Boccherini, architect Fortune Rodríguez and painters Francisco de Goya, Luis Paret and Fortress, and Chat Joseph Flipart.

Family of Luis Antonio in 1743

"The Family of Philip V of Spain 1743"; (L-R) Mariana Victoria, Princess of Brazil; Barbara, Princess of Asturias; Ferdinand, Prince of Asturias; King Philip V; Luis, Count of Chinchón; Elisabeth of Parma; Infante Philip; Princess Louise Élisabeth of France; Infanta Maria Teresa Rafaela; Infanta Maria Antonietta; Maria Amalia, Queen of Naples and Sicily; Charles, King of Naples and Sicily. The two children in the foreground are Princess Maria Isabella Anne of Naples and Sicily and Infanta Isabella of Spain (daughter of the future Duke of Parma)

Marriage

The King Charles III, fearful of his brother, exiled Luis far away to the Cut of Madrid. On 27 June (some say 28 January), 1776 at Olias del Rey Luis contracted a Morganatic marriage with an Aragonese aristocrat, dona María Teresa de Vallabriga y Rozas, Español y Drummond (5 September 1758 – Zaragoza, 16 February 1820), 99th Noble Dame of the Royal Order of Queen María Luisa on 7 December 1800, 13th Condesa de Chinchón Grandee of Spain 1st Class, daughter of don José Ignacio de Vallabriga y Español, ... y ..., ?th Conde de Torrescasas, of the House of the Condes de Torres Levas, and wife dona Josefa de Rozas y Drummond, ... y .... This was much to the liking of Charles, because Luis now could not have children with a better claim to the throne.

Children

Since Luis' children had been born of a morganatic marriage, they could not receive royal titles, and thus the descendants of Charles were the legitimate Spanish heirs (even though the children of Charles had been born in Naples). The couple had four children:

* María Teresa Carolina; married in the Escorial, Madrid, 2 October 1797 Don Manuel de Godoy y Álvarez de Faria, 1st Principe de la Paz, 1st Duque de Alcúdia and 1st Duque de Sueca (Badajoz, 12 May 1767 – Paris, 4 October 1851), and had issue, an only daughter Carlota Luisa Manuela.

* Dona María Luisa de Borbón y Vallabriga, Farnesio y Rozas (Toledo, 21 March 1780 – Paris, 1 December 1846), 98th Noble Dame of the Royal Order of Queen María Luisa on 10 October 1800, married in 1817 Don Joaquín José de Melgarejo y Saurín, de Rojas y Ruíz-Dávalos (Cox, Alicante, 23 January 1780 – Madrid, 9 April 1835), 3rd Marqués de Melgarejo and 1st Duque de San Fernando de Quiroga Grandee of Spain First Class with a Coat of Arms of de Melgarejo, 39th Minister of External Affairs of Spain (12 September 1819-18 March 1820), without issue.

Charles had a great deal of appreciation and devotion to his younger brother, and even during his exile, Luis was treated quite well by the Spanish court. Luis loved his brother equally as much, which is why Luis later accepted Charles as King and accepted his exile. Despite this, Luis remained bitter and saddened by the fact that he lost the opportunity to be King. Luis died disgraced and in exile in 1785.